Thursday, October 26, 2023

The ONLY Meditation Shree Krishna Wants – Most People NEVER Practice This | Swami Mukundananda

The ONLY Meditation Shree Krishna Wants – Most People NEVER Practice This | Swami Mukundananda

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byiz8X_pm3Y Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6, Verse 15 (Dhyāna Yoga) by Swami Mukundananda, focusing on the technique of Rūpa Dhyāna (meditation on the divine form) as the most effective method for spiritual practice. Salient Points : Rūpa Dhyāna (Meditation on Form) No. Time Salient Point 1 0:11 Shri Krishna's Command: Shri Krishna resolves the confusion over what to meditate upon by instructing, "Arjun, attach your mind to Me." 2 0:20 The Technique: The most effective technique to attach the mind to God is Rūpa Dhyāna (meditation on the divine form). 3 0:26 Mind's Nature: Since the mind carries saṁskāras (impressions), it easily connects with a form. You must provide it with the form of God. 4 0:35 Simulating Love: Rūpa Dhyāna is a wonderful way to simulate and practice love for God. 5 0:53 Practicing for Goloka: Shri Krishna suggests practicing this Rūpa Dhyāna simulation before being called to His divine abode, Goloka. 6 1:59 BG 6.15 Essence: The yogi who constantly keeps the mind absorbed in God attains Nirvāṇa (liberation) and abides in Him in supreme peace. 7 2:29 Stages of Yoga: This technique follows the classical steps from Patañjali of Pratyāhāra (withdrawal of senses) to Dhāraṇā (concentration) to Dhyāna (meditation). 8 3:03 Etymology of Zen: The word Zen actually originated from the Sanskrit word Dhyāna, showing its ancient, universal roots. 9 4:45 Half the Journey: Knowing that one must meditate on God and not on chakras, lights, or breath, is half the journey accomplished. 10 4:51 The Ignorance: Even among practitioners, less than 5% realize they are ultimately supposed to meditate on God. 11 7:13 The Form Objection: The objection that one "cannot connect the form with the infinite" is misplaced, as every religion uses symbols (e.g., cross, Kaba) to attach the mind. 12 8:50 The Sentiments: Swami Vivekananda demonstrated that it is not the idol (mūrti) itself, but the divine sentiments created in the heart, that purify the self. 13 9:33 Need for Attachment: Every individual needs something to attach the mind to for the sake of devotion. 14 11:41 Manomayi Mūrti: The Shrīmad Bhāgavata Purāṇa lists eight kinds of mūrtis, one of which is Manomayi—the deity you create with your mind. 15 12:25 Effort Precedes Fruit: One cannot demand to see God first before practicing. Seeing Shri Krishna is the fruit of practice, hence the rule: "First deserve, and then desire." 16 13:43 Freedom of Visualization: Shri Krishna gives complete freedom to the devotee, saying, "You can visualize My image as you wish," as He has Anantam Rūpam (infinite forms). 17 15:26 Love Over Form: Shri Krishna is not concerned with the specific form, but with the love in the heart, as that love is what truly purifies the soul. 18 15:36 The Divine Upgrade: Once the heart is truly pure, God adds His divine power (Yoga Māyā or Śuddha Sattva) to the mind, making it divine. 19 16:25 "Doll Play" (Guḍiyā): Before God-realization, the simple meditation on the image of God ("doll play") is sufficient for purifying the mind. 20 17:09 Comprehensive Meditation: Meditation should include the Name, Form, Virtues, Pastimes, and Abodes of God, as this is the entire divine realm. 21 17:48 The Bhakti Path: The path of Bhakti Yoga requires dovetailing—taking the mind away from the world (detachment) and simultaneously attaching it to God. ________________________________________ Full Transcript: Meditation on the Divine Form Time Transcript 0:00 A huge confusion arises: What should we meditate upon? Shri Krishna puts the debate to rest. 0:11 He says, "Arjun, attach your mind to Me." So how will you meditate on God? Here the technique is Rūpa Dhyāna (Meditation on Form). 0:22 Our mind has its saṁskāras (impressions). It will very easily connect with the form. Just provide the mind the form of God. 0:35 What a wonderful way it is to simulate love for God. 0:43 I heard that in the US, even for driving the car, there's an option of learning within a simulator, where you don't have to risk your life and the life of others on the road. 0:53 Likewise, Shri Krishna says, "Before I call you to My Goloka, why don't you just practice it?" 1:03 That practice is the Rūpa Dhyāna meditation, where you bring Shri Krishna and Rādhā ji in front and you press Their feet, etc. There are so many benefits in this. Now you will move ahead in leaps and bounds. 1:21 Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 6: Dhyāna Yoga (The Yoga of Meditation). 1:59 BG 6.15 Translation: "Thus constantly keeping the mind absorbed in Me, the yogi of disciplined mind attains Nirvāṇa and abides in Me in supreme peace." 2:18 So Maharishi Patañjali also went from Pratyāhāra (withdrawal of senses) to Dhāraṇā (concentration) and then to Dhyāna (meditation). Shri Krishna has also gone through the same stages. 2:39 There are so many kinds of Dhyāna in this world, including Buddhist, Taoist, and Zen meditation. 3:03 Now, 40 years ago, if you did research, you would come to know that this word Zen has actually come from Dhyāna. 3:14 When Dhyāna went along with Buddhism to China, it became Chan, and Chan then became Zen. But now they want to wipe out that connection. 3:47 In Aṣṭāṅga Yoga and in Hinduism, there are probably 10,000 forms of meditation (as an underestimate). 3:55 Somebody says meditate on the āgyā chakra. Somebody says meditate on the maṇipūraka chakra, somebody says meditate on the mūlādhāra, etc. So a huge confusion arises: what should we meditate upon? 4:16 Shri Krishna puts the debate to rest. He says, "Attach your mind to Me." 4:35 If somebody can have faith in this bit of knowledge that I need to meditate on God, I would say half the journey is accomplished. 4:51 As a teacher of meditation, I go around the world and I ask people what they are supposed to meditate on. Not even 5% know they're supposed to meditate on God. 5:17 Once that decision is made, the process becomes easy. So how will you meditate on God? Here the technique is Rūpa Dhyāna. 5:35 If you want the mind to connect to God, just provide the mind the form of God. 5:44 What a wonderful way it is to simulate love for God. 6:45 Likewise, Shri Krishna says, "Before I call you to My Goloka, why don't you just practice it?" 6:56 And that practice is the Rūpa Dhyāna meditation, where you bring Shri Krishna and Rādhā ji in front and you press Their feet, etc. 7:13 Now, some people say, "We don't believe in meditation on a form because we cannot connect the form with the infinite." 7:32 They also will find some kind of form to meditate on, like their guru. 7:43 The Ārya Samāj was vehemently against Mūrti Pūjā (idol worship). 7:53 There's a story about Swami Vivekananda. He went to a prince's house in Alwar, Rajasthan. That prince was a disciple of the Ārya Samāj and criticized mūrtis as crutches of the mind. 8:28 Swami Vivekananda took the prince's large picture of the Ārya Samāj founder, Swami Dayanand, put it on the ground, and started walking on his face. 8:43 That infuriated the prince. Swami Vivekananda said, "This is only a paper, but you are getting so annoyed. This means you have created divine sentiments in it." 9:01 "You were refuting the worship of a mūrti, and you are doing it yourself." In which religion don't they use symbols? 9:33 So, everybody needs something to attach the mind to. 9:53 It is not the mūrti per se; it is your sentiments which are purifying you. 10:45 Swami Vivekananda also pointed out that his Guru, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, used to worship the deity of Mother Kali. 11:06 "If by worshiping a deity you can reach that elevated state, what is the problem? It is the sentiment that we are creating which is purifying ourselves." 11:41 The Shrīmad Bhāgavata Purāṇa says there are eight kinds of mūrtis. One of them is Manomayi—the deity that you make with your mind. 12:25 But that stage [of God-realization] will require effort and practice. 12:45 Having darśana of Shri Krishna is the fruit of practice. 13:03 You want the fruit first and then do the practice. Does it ever happen in the world? 13:22 The rule is: "First deserve, and then desire." Likewise, we cannot demand that first I should see Shri Krishna, then practice to think of Him. 13:34 Shri Krishna says you have to begin right now. 13:43 However, the ease is: "You can visualize My image as you wish." 13:50 He says, "Look, I am Anantam Rūpam; I have infinite forms, infinite Avatāras, infinite līlās (pastimes), and infinite devotees." 14:10 "So you have full freedom amongst those infinite forms to choose the form you will create in your mind for Me." 14:21 So, without any hesitation, you visualize Shri Krishna as you wish. 15:22 Shri Krishna says, "You are free to visualize Me as you wish because what I see is not the form but the love in the heart." 15:36 "And when the heart is truly pure, I will add my divine power, the Yoga Māyā (also called Śuddha Sattva)." 15:53 "Then your mind will become divine by the grace of Yogamāyā." 16:03 At that stage, you will see Shri Krishna as He is, by His grace. That will be after God realization. 16:25 Before that, He says, "First the doll play" (guḍiyā-guḍḍā). You have to purify your mind, and when it is pure, the rest I will do. 16:54 So right now, meditation on the image of God. Alongside that, you meditate on the infinite qualities, the pastimes (līlās), and the Name. 17:23 This is the divine realm. You take your mind anywhere there. 17:34 As you do this with a disciplined mind, you will attain the supreme destination. 17:48 We were talking about dovetailing: taking the mind away from the world and dovetailing it to God. 20:29 Mere detachment (withdrawal from the world) is not going to work. You must dovetail it. 20:39 The path of Jñāna Yoga says: Detach. The path of Bhakti Yoga says: Attach and Detach (dovetailing). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byiz8X_pm3Y

 

Secrets to Achieve Vrindavan Bliss at Home | घर बैठे वृंदावन सुख पाने का रहस्य by Swami Mukundanand

Secrets to Achieve Vrindavan Bliss at Home | घर बैठे वृंदावन सुख पाने का रहस्य by Swami Mukundanand

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4dyggDiJqs

Salient Points: मन, भक्ति और कथा की महिमा  क्र.सं. समय मुख्य बिंदु (हिंदी में) 1 0:00 मन का महत्व: यह जो मन/चित्त है, यही बंधन और मोक्ष का मूल कारण है, इसलिए इसे ईश्वर में लगाना चाहिए। 2 0:08 वृंदावन का लाभ: जहाँ मन, वहाँ हम। मन को प्रभु में लगाने से घर बैठे ही वृंदावन का लाभ मिलता है। 3 0:17 मन की भटकन: मन न लगाने पर व्यक्ति वृंदावन जैसे पवित्र स्थान में भी भटकता रहता है। 4 0:20 आंतरिक निवास: भगवान तुम्हारे हृदय में निवास करते हैं। 5 0:26 श्रद्धा का महत्व: जिस दिन सच्ची श्रद्धा हो जाती है, उस दिन गंगा स्नान या कुरुक्षेत्र की तीर्थयात्रा जैसे बाहरी कर्मों का महत्व गौण (very small) हो जाता है। 6 0:36 मन की शुद्धि: "जो मन चंगा तो कठौती में गंगा" - मन को शुद्ध करना ही असली स्नान है। 7 0:44 आंतरिक संबंध: बाहरी पूजा और कथा (क्रियाएँ) करते रहें, पर अंदर के कनेक्शन (मन के जुड़ाव) को अधिक महत्व दें। 8 0:58 गर्ग मुनि का परिचय: गर्ग मुनि वृष्णि वंश के कुल-गुरु और प्रतिष्ठित भक्ति आचार्य थे। 9 1:17 नामकरण की गोपनीयता: वसुदेव जी के कहने पर, गर्ग मुनि कंस के भय से गुप्त रूप से नंद बाबा के पास ब्रज में पहुँचे। 10 1:45 गौशाला में संस्कार: नंद बाबा ने गोपनीयता बनाए रखने के लिए नामकरण संस्कार गौशाला में करने का सुझाव दिया। 11 2:00 बलराम का नाम: रोहिणी-नंदन को सहजता से "बलराम" नाम दिया गया, क्योंकि वह तमाम बल से युक्त थे। 12 2:10 कृष्ण को देख समाधि: श्री कृष्ण को गोद में लेते ही गर्ग मुनि समाधिस्थ हो गए और अपनी सुध-बुध भूल गए। 13 2:40 कृष्ण नाम का अर्थ: उन्होंने 'कृष्ण' नाम दिया, जिसका अर्थ है: जो योगियों के चित्त को आकर्षित करता है। 14 2:57 इंद्रियों का अंतर: पूजा कर्म-इंद्रियों (हाथ) से, जबकि कथा श्रवण ज्ञान-इंद्रियों (कान) से की जाती है। 15 3:09 सूक्ष्मता और उत्कृष्टता: ज्ञानेंद्रियाँ कर्म-इंद्रियों से अधिक सूक्ष्म और उत्कृष्ट हैं। 16 3:17 हृदय में प्रवेश: इसी कारण भगवान कान (श्रवण) के माध्यम से सहज ही हृदय में प्रवेश कर जाते हैं। 17 3:25 श्रवण की शक्ति: श्रवण (सुनने) में बहुत शक्ति होती है। 18 3:30 काम-क्रोध का उपाय: भागवत के आरंभ में, सूत जी ने बताया कि सत्पुरुषों से भगवान की कथाओं का श्रवण-कीर्तन करने से हृदय के भीतर के अमंगल नष्ट हो जाते हैं। 19 4:12 अंतःकरण की शुद्धि: कथा रस का पान करने से हृदय के अभद्र भाव धुल जाते हैं और अंतःकरण की शुद्धि होती है। 20 4:29 श्रवण के प्रकार: भगवत्-संबंधी श्रवण दो प्रकार का होता है: तत्त्व ज्ञान का श्रवण और लीला श्रवण। 21 4:50 सिद्धांतों में स्पष्टता: तत्त्व ज्ञान के श्रवण से सिद्धांतों में स्पष्टता आती है, जो सही व्यावहारिक आचरण (प्रैक्टिकल) के लिए अति आवश्यक है। 22 5:26 रूप ध्यान: लीला श्रवण बहुत लाभदायक है, क्योंकि सुनते समय स्वचालित रूप से (ऑटोमेटिकली) रूप ध्यान होने लगता है। 23 5:44 गोपी गीत का प्रमाण: गोपियों ने गोपी गीत में कहा कि मिलन की विरह वेदना से पीड़ित होने पर भी, आपकी कथा श्रवण से ही हमें शांति मिलती है। 24 6:53 परोपकारी वक्ता: कथा प्रदान करने वाले वक्ता 'भूरिदा' (बड़े उदार और दयालु) होते हैं, और कथा प्रदान करना सबसे बड़ा परोपकार है। 25 7:20 भीतरी रस: गर्ग आचार्य ने मत दिया कि कथा का रस भीतर से अनुभव होना चाहिए, केवल बाहरी प्रदर्शन नहीं। ________________________________________ Full Transcript समय शुद्ध हिंदी ट्रांसक्रिप्ट 0:00 यह जो चित्त है, यही बंधन और मोक्ष का कारण है। तो चित्त को भगवान में लगाओ। 0:07 जहाँ मन, वहाँ हम। अब अगर मन को लगा दिया, तो यहीं बैठे-बैठे वृंदावन का लाभ पा लोगे। और चित्त को नहीं लगाया, तो वृंदावन में भटकोगे। 0:20 भगवान तुम्हारे हृदय में निवास करते हैं। जिस दिन तुमने श्रद्धा कर ली, अब गंगा स्नान करने का तात्पर्य नहीं रह गया और कुरुक्षेत्र तीर्थ यात्रा का भी कोई महत्व नहीं रह गया। 0:36 यहाँ बैठ के ही मन को स्नान कर लो। जो मन चंगा, तो कठौती में गंगा। 0:44 ठीक है? बाहर की चीजें रखो। पूजा भी करो, साथ में कथा भी करो, लेकिन अंदर के कनेक्शन को महत्व दो। 0:58 गर्ग मुनि हमारे भारतीय इतिहास के प्रतिष्ठित भक्ति आचार्यों में से एक हैं। वे वृष्णि वंश के कुल-गुरु थे। 1:12 इसलिए वे वासुदेव जी को कंस के कारागृह में मिले। मथुरा में वसुदेव जी ने कहा कि मेरे बेटे का नामकरण कर दो, वह ब्रज में है। 1:24 तो बिना किसी को बताए, वे पहुँचे वहाँ पर नंद बाबा के पास। और नंद बाबा को कहा कि आपके बेटे को हम नाम देंगे। 1:36 नंद बाबा ने कहा, आप तो वृष्णि वंश के पुरोहित हैं। अगर आप नाम देंगे, लोगों को पता चलेगा, तो हो सकता है किसी को संदेह हो जाए। आइए यहाँ गौशाला में बैठ के करते हैं। 1:52 वहाँ पर यशोदा और रोहिणी अपने-अपने पुत्रों को लाईं। 2:00 तो रोहिणी-नंदन के लिए तो उन्होंने सहज भाव से बोल दिया, "बलराम," तमाम बल से युक्त। 2:10 और श्री कृष्ण को जब गोद में लिया, तो कहने लगे, "मैं तो इस लड़के को नाम देने के लिए आया था, पर इसको देखकर तो मैं अपने नाम को ही भूल गया हूँ।" ऐसी समाधि लग गई। 2:40 तथापि, उन्होंने 'कृष्ण' नाम दिया। "कर्षति योगीनां चेतांसि इति कृष्णः।" (जो योगियों के चित्त को आकर्षित करता है, वह कृष्ण है)। 2:52 भगवान की कथा में अनुराग। 2:57 पूजा हाथ इत्यादि से की जाती है (कर्म इंद्रियाँ)। कथा में श्रवण करना होता है (ज्ञानेंद्रिय)। 3:09 ज्ञानेंद्रिय कर्म-इंद्रिय से सूक्ष्म है और उत्कृष्ट भी हैं। 3:17 इसलिए भगवान कान के माध्यम से सहज ही हृदय में आ जाते हैं। 3:25 श्रवण में बहुत शक्ति होती है। 3:30 भागवत के प्रारंभ में ही शौनकादिक ने सूत जी महाराज से प्रश्न किया था कि हृदय में अभद्र चीजें हैं—काम, क्रोध, लोभ, मोह—यह सब कैसे जाएँगी? 3:47 सूत जी ने उपाय बताया: "शृण्वतां स्वकथाः कृष्णः पुण्यश्रवणकीर्तनः। हृद्यन्तःस्थो ह्यभद्राणि विधुनोति सुहृत्सताम्।" (अर्थात, एक संत के श्रीमुख से भगवान के नाम, रूप, लीला, गुण, धाम आदि का श्रवण करो)। 4:12 तो कथा रस पान से अभद्र अमंगलमय चीजें सब धुल जाएँगी। अंतःकरण की शुद्धि होगी। 4:23 अब यह जो श्रवण है, भगवत-संबंधी, यह दो प्रकार का होता है: 4:32 एक तत्त्व ज्ञान का श्रवण। चाहे कान से श्रवण करें अथवा नेत्रों से पठन करें, बात तो एक ही है। 4:50 तत्त्व ज्ञान का श्रवण करने से सिद्धांत क्लियर (clear) होता है, तो यह अति आवश्यक है। जितनी क्लेरिटी (clarity) होगी थ्योरी (theory) में, उतना ही हम व्यावहारिक ढंग से सही-सही उपयुक्त रूप में कर पाएँगे। 5:12 किंतु एक दूसरे प्रकार का श्रवण भी होता है—लीला श्रवण, भगवान की लीलाओं के बारे में सुनना। 5:23 यह लीला श्रवण भी साधक के लिए बहुत लाभदायक होता है, क्योंकि आप जब लीला सुनते हैं, तो स्वचालित रूप से रूप ध्यान होता जाता है। 5:37 तो जितनी बार हम लीला श्रवण करते हैं, रूप ध्यान क्रिस्टल क्लियर (crystal clear)  होता है। 5:44 लीला श्रवण के लिए तो गोपियों ने गोपी गीत में कहा था: "तव कथामृतं तप्तजीवनं, कविभिरीडितं कल्मषापहम्। श्रवणमङ्गलं श्रीमदाततं, भुवि गृणन्ति ते भूरिदा जनाः॥" 6:33 कहती हैं गोपियाँ, कि हे श्री कृष्ण, आपके मिलन की विरह वेदना से जब हम बहुत पीड़ित हो जाती हैं, आपकी कथा श्रवण से हमको शांति मिलती है। 6:53 और वो कथा प्रदान करने वाले जो वक्ता हैं, वो बड़े दयालु हैं—'भूरिदा'—यानी बड़े उदार हैं। कथा प्रदान करना, गोपियाँ कहती हैं, कितना बड़ा परोपकार है। 7:15 तो गर्ग आचार्य ने अपना मत दिया कि भाई देखो, कथा रस मतलब भीतर से रस की अनुभूति हो, बाहर से नहीं। 7:30 यह जो चित्त है, यही बंधन और मोक्ष का कारण है। तो चित्त को भगवान में लगाओ। 8:04 जिस दिन तुमने श्रद्धा कर ली, अब गंगा स्नान करने का तात्पर्य नहीं रह गया और कुरुक्षेत्र तीर्थ यात्रा का भी कोई महत्व नहीं रह गया। 8:21 यहाँ बैठ के ही मन को स्नान कर लो। जो मन चंगा, तो कठौती में गंगा। ठीक है? बाहर की चीजें रखो, पूजा भी करो, साथ में कथा भी करो, लेकिन अंदर के कनेक्शन को महत्व दो। https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4dyggDiJqs

Fix Your Mind, Fix Your Life – Shree Krishna’s Key to End Anxiety and Suffering | Swami Mukundananda

Fix Your Mind, Fix Your Life – Shree Krishna’s Key to End Anxiety and Suffering | Swami Mukundananda

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKKeoZ9Jq9E This video, based on the Īśāvāsya Upaniṣad (Mantra 7) and the Bhagavad Gītā, explains that Divine Knowledge is the sole source of changing perception and eliminating suffering. Īśāvāsya Upaniṣad: The Power of Divine Knowledge  # Time Salient Points  1 0:02 Arjun's Condition: At the beginning of the Gītā, Arjun laments that he cannot fight, listing physical symptoms like his bow (Gāṇḍīva) slipping, his mouth drying, and his knees shaking. 2 0:19 Surrender: Arjun surrenders to Shree Krishna, declaring, "I am your surrendered disciple. Give me knowledge." 3 0:27 Krishna's Rebuke: Krishna's first message to Arjun is sharp: "While apparently speaking words of wisdom of a pundit, you are actually behaving like a fool." 4 1:39 Perception is Key: Our perception is the major factor determining our happiness and distress, not the external circumstances themselves. 5 1:47 Relativity of Suffering: What one person considers a "shabby home" could be the dream home of 98% of the world's population. 6 2:05 Relativity of Health: A person worried about high cholesterol could have the dream health of genuinely sick people. 7 2:25 Changing Perception: Happiness is fundamentally a matter of perception, which is changed by knowledge. 8 2:53 Knowledge Transforms: When you know the world to be non-different from God—meaning fully connected to the Divine—your perception changes completely. 9 2:59 The "Here vs. Her" Analogy: A simple error in knowledge (a typo changing "I wish you were here" to "her") can instantly change a spouse's perception from love to cursing until the misunderstanding is clarified. 10 4:02 Defective Knowledge: Many times, the way we see things is skewed because of defective knowledge about the situation or the world. 11 4:23 The Subway Story: A man in the New York subway was irritated by a sloppy man and his chaotic children until he learned the truth: they were returning from the hospital where the mother had just passed away. 12 5:34 Knowledge is the Fix: The moment this knowledge was revealed, the passengers' entire perception changed from irritation to sympathy. 13 5:46 Source of Suffering: We create defective perceptions which are often the true reason for our negative thinking and suffering. 14 6:14 The Harm of Resentment: Keeping resentment (durabhāvanā or ill will) is described as one of the worst things for the mind. 15 6:40 Unclean Heart: A person whose heart is unclean will see bad everywhere, even finding fault with God (e.g., criticizing Krishna’s stance or Jagannāth's eyes). 16 7:27 Sign of Goodness: A sign of goodness is the absolute reverse: challenging oneself to not keep ill will toward anyone. 17 7:38 Test of Sādhanā: When someone hurts you, you must take it as an opportunity to practice sādhanā (spiritual discipline) to overcome the resentment. 18 8:03 The Sovereign Recipe: The mantra provides the sovereign recipe for overcoming resentment: change how you look at the world. 19 8:30 The Dual Picture Analogy: The world is like a dual-picture puzzle (old man vs. young man); both images exist. What you see depends on what you choose to focus on based on your prior conditioning. 20 9:26 God vs. Māyā: This world contains both Māyā (illusion) and God. The goal is to train yourself to see God in everyone and everything. 21 10:44 Six Divine Qualities: Scriptures teach six qualities of God: He is the world, its creator, the material cause, the maintainer, the law-establisher, and the annihilator. 22 11:31 The Shoes and Dollar Story: A professor demonstrated that giving is a far more joyous activity than taking by having his student put money in a poor farm worker's shoes instead of stealing them. 23 14:27 Knowledge and Life Transformation: Knowledge is a very powerful means of life transformation and helps in developing EQ (Emotional Quotient). 24 17:48 Lamentation Caused by Moha: The mantra states that the one who truly knows (vijānatā) will never be attached or lamenting, because moha (delusion/ignorance) is the root cause of lamentation. 25 21:36 The Best Service: The best service one can offer to people is to give them right knowledge, as knowledge and understanding are the link that fuels bhakti (devotion). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKKeoZ9Jq9E Full Transcript: The Power of Divine Knowledge Time Transcript 0:02 Arjun was lamenting in the beginning of the Gītā. "Oh, Shree Krishna, I cannot fight the war." 0:08 "What happened? Oh, this, this, this, this. My Gāṇḍīva (bow) is falling from my hand. My mouth is drying up and my tongue has become like leather, and my knees are shaking." 0:17 "Oh, Shree Krishna, I'm your surrendered disciple. Give me knowledge." 0:22 So, the first message of Shree Krishna to Arjun: 0:28 "While apparently speaking words of wisdom of a pundit, you are actually behaving like a fool." 0:38 Why did He say that? 1:13 This [Mantra] is packed with wisdom. 1:22 The previous mantra's first line was very similar. It said, "Those who see Me in all things and see all things in Me." 1:35 Their perception changes. 1:39 Perception is such a big thing in determining your happiness and distress. 1:47 You may think, "What a shabby home I have." But do you think it could be the dream home of 98% of the people on this planet? 2:02 You may think, "Oh my god, my health, my cholesterol is up." But it could be the dream health of the sick people. 2:15 Your job, which you think is all crappy, could be the dream job of other people. 2:23 So, likewise, it is a matter of perception. 2:28 In the previous mantra, He said, "How do you see this world? Do you see God in it?" Now He has changed it. 2:43 He says, when you know this world to be non-different from God, things will change. 2:53 Knowing changes your perception. 2:59 One husband went in the winters to Cancun. Out there, he loved the environment, the atmosphere. 3:12 So, he wrote a love letter to his wife. "It is so wonderful here. I wish you were here." 3:23 But in "here," he left out the last 'e'. "I wish you were her." 3:34 The wife read it. "Oh my god." Everything changed. 3:41 She cursed her husband, "How dare you?" etc., until the misunderstanding was clarified. 3:50 And when she came to know it was a mistake, the way she saw the situation, all changed. 3:59 So many times, the way we are seeing things is because of defective knowledge. 4:07 Stephen Covey wrote this story in his book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. 4:19 A person was traveling in the New York subway, and there was a sloppy man in front. His little children were as disoriented as him, creating such a ruckus, which was a source of great irritation to this person and the other passengers. 4:46 Ultimately, this person could not handle the irritation any further and said, "Sir, if you don't mind, your children are disturbing us greatly; can you please take care of them?" 5:02 The man responded, "Ah yes, I think I need to take a better grip. I don't know how to handle the situation. We have just come; we are on our way back from the hospital. Their mother has passed away two hours ago, and they are unable to handle it, as I am unable to handle it." 5:23 The moment the passengers heard that, their whole perception changed. 5:34 So, how did perception change? Through knowledge. Knowledge changed the way you look at things. 5:43 If we don't have the proper knowledge, we create defective perceptions, and those are so often the reason for our negative thinking. 5:57 So, how do you create positive perceptions? 6:05 How do you remove resentments? How do you get rid of hurts? 6:14 Keeping resentment is one of the worst things, as Shree Kripalu ji maharaj has written. 6:28 "Oh my dear mind, even in your dream, even by mistake, don't keep ill will towards anyone." 6:40 A person whose heart is unclean keeps a bad attitude even towards good places. 6:50 "Krishna is there, but why does he not stand straight? Why does he stand crooked?" 6:58 "The Ratha Yātrā is coming. Yeah, but why does it take so long to come? Why can't it come faster?" 7:04 "Jagannāth is on the chariot, so royal and majestic. Yeah, but why does he have so big eyes?" 7:14 So, people who have that negative perception will see bad everywhere. 7:22 And the sign of goodness is the absolute reverse. 7:27 The sign of goodness is you challenge yourself: "I will not keep durabhāvanā (ill will) anywhere." 7:38 "Somebody has hurt me? Take it as a test. Here comes an opportunity to practice sādhanā (spiritual discipline)." 7:47 "Will the situation win, or will I win?" 7:52 So, how do you overcome resentment? 7:58 This mantra is giving us a sovereign recipe. 8:03 It is saying, "How do you look at this world?" You can look at this world in different ways. 8:12 As little children, we used to have these puzzles. There were jumbled lines in the puzzle book. 8:22 One person, if you look from here, sees an old man. And you look from here, there's a young man. 8:30 Now, what do you wish to see? Both are there in the picture. 8:37 One teacher did an experiment. He took a jumble of two pictures. Now, it had the old man and the young man. 8:47 He divided the class into two and showed these people the young man's picture, and then he showed them the old man's picture. 8:58 And then he showed them all the jumbled picture and said, "Which one do you see?" 9:04 This half of the class was willing to swear, "It is the young man," and that half was willing to swear, "It is the old man." 9:15 The fact is both the pictures were there. 9:18 They were being affected by what they had seen in the past. 9:24 Likewise, this world is the world of Māyā (illusion), and God is also in this world. 9:33 Now, what do you want to see? Do you want to see Māyā or do you want to see God? 9:39 If you start seeing God, you'll say, "God is in everyone." 9:44 And when you see God is in everyone, the person towards whom you are keeping resentment, God is in that person as well. 9:54 So you want to keep resentment? If you want to go ahead... but that mere thought will change things. 10:04 When you change your knowledge, when you understand God is everywhere, it will automatically change your perception of things. 10:19 So the scriptures have told us time and time and time again... 10:41 In one mantra, six things are being said. God is the world. He is the creator of the world. 10:52 He is the material from which the world has been created. He is the maintainer of the world. He has established the law and order of the world, and He is the one who shall annihilate the world. 11:08 So now if we decide that this is the knowledge we will believe, based on that knowledge, we start training ourselves to see God. 11:22 And when you see God, you naturally change the way you look at people. 11:31 One professor was known for his kindness. He took his student on a field trip. 11:39 When they were outside the city, they were on the road. A poor farm worker, having slogged it out in the sun, completely exhausted, was under a tree. 11:54 The student was a little naughty. 11:59 So he said, "Sir, let's have some fun. Let's make this guy's shoes disappear and hide behind the bush." 12:10 "And then we will see his reaction when he sees his shoes missing." 12:17 The professor said, "Why not do it my way?" 12:22 He gave this student money and said, "Slip it into his shoes." 12:32 All right? He put it in his shoes. 12:35 Now this farm worker, poor man, he woke up. 12:43 He was about to put his shoe on when he discovered something hard. So he took his foot out and he put his hand in, and he saw a full dollar. 12:58 The expression on his face... he was thinking, "Oh my god, here is the money for my sick wife's medicine." 13:08 And then he saw the other shoe also had a dollar. 13:14 Now the professor and his student were sitting behind the bush and watching. 13:21 What did they see? This man, he fell on his knees. 13:27 He lifted his hands up towards the heaven and started praying. 13:34 The words of his prayer were, "Oh God, today I really believe in you. My little children didn't have to eat. My wife didn't have medicine for her sickness." 13:49 "How in the world have these come? If it is not for your grace, how could it have come?" 13:57 He walked off. 14:00 The professor looked at the student's face. 14:04 The student said, "Sir, thank you so much for teaching me that giving is a far more joyous activity than taking." 14:19 He understood; that understanding changed things. 14:27 So, knowledge is a very powerful means of life transformation. 14:35 If we can have knowledge of the connection of the world with God, if we can have knowledge of our connection with God, and thereby our connection with others, we will automatically develop our EQ (Emotional Quotient). 15:03 Look at the Buddha teaching EQ. 15:08 In his time, there was a dacoit (bandit) called Angulimāla. Everybody's heard the story in their childhood books, right? 15:18 Angulimāla had zero EQ, zero SQ (Spirituality Quotient). 15:27 He used to kill people and then take their finger as a trophy and keep increasing the garland that he was wearing around his neck. 15:37 Now the Buddha happened to be going by. Angulimāla looked at the Buddha and he spat at him. 15:50 The Buddha, his EQ was beyond the roof. He said, "Do you have anything further to say?" 16:00 And Angulimāla said, "I said nothing." He said, "What you did was tantamount to saying." 16:08 So Angulimāla was impressed. 16:14 The Buddha said, "You know, what you are doing has got no bravery. What I'm doing has got bravery." 16:23 Angulimāla said, "How do you say that?" 16:26 The Buddha said, "Here is a leaf on a twig on this tree. Break it." Angulimāla broke it. 16:37 Buddha said, "Join it back." He could not join it back. 16:40 So likewise, said the Buddha, "What you're doing is so trivial. You're breaking people. I am joining people. That is bravery." 16:52 The Buddha walked in front, and as 200 disciples walked behind him. Angulimāla realized that Buddha may have been physically weaker than me. But if he had just given an instruction to his disciples to overpower him, he would have fallen flat. 17:17 Angulimāla became his surrendered devotee. 17:22 That epiphany (a moment of sudden and great revelation or realization) moment, that understanding, changed the way he looked at things. 17:31 So in this mantra, vijānatā has come for knowing. 17:39 And then the second line is very interesting. 17:48 "One who knows will never be attached and will never be lamenting." 17:57 Actually, the word moha (delusion) comes from mudha, meaning to make unconscious. 18:08 So Shree Krishna has said, "Look, if you get anger, what happens? Your intellect becomes sammūḍha (bewildered); it becomes unconscious." 18:26 "And then you lose memory, and then the intellect is ruined." 18:31 So Arjun was lamenting in the beginning of the Gītā, and finally in Chapter 2, Arjun surrendered. 18:48 He has first given his whole philosophy to Shree Krishna. 19:19 But then he says he got this bit of wisdom: "Oh Shree Krishna, I'm your surrendered disciple. Give me knowledge." 19:28 So, the first message of Shree Krishna to Arjun: "While apparently speaking words of wisdom of a pundit, you are actually behaving like a fool." 19:56 Why did He say that? Because one who is a true pundit never laments. 20:02 One who has got knowledge never laments. 20:06 So what causes lamentation is moha or ignorance. 20:13 And at the very end of the Gītā, Shree Krishna says, "Arjun, has your moha gone? Has your ignorance gone?" 20:25 Shree Krishna does not ask, "Has your lamentation disappeared?" 20:29 He only says, "Has your moha gone?" because if moha goes, lamentation will go automatically. 20:36 So Arjun says, "Oh Shree Krishna, my moha has gone." Chapter closed. 20:47 "My moha, my ignorance, is gone." So Shree Krishna gave him the knowledge. His ignorance disappeared. Arjun is now in knowledge. His lamentation is gone. 20:58 So the mantra is telling us that if you are able to actually know that God is everywhere, the moha will disappear, the lamentation will disappear. 21:12 This is the power of knowledge. 21:19 Many years ago, literally 30 years ago, I asked Maharaji, "What is the best service we can do to people?" 21:33 He said, "The best service you can do is to give them right knowledge." Knowledge makes such a difference. 21:43 So that is the mission of JKYog. 21:48 What is the link between knowledge and bhakti (devotion)? 21:54 Bhakti is based on knowledge and understanding. 21:58 Chaitanya Mahāprabhu is considered a preacher. He said, in cultivating your knowledge and understanding, don't be lazy. 22:15 Don't think just śraddhā (faith) is enough. You need to understand. 22:20 The biggest devotee of Ram, Tulsīdās Mahārāj, you read his Rāmcharitmānas, but he says... 22:38 If you come to know that this stone is worth $10 million, then your love for it will be worth $10 million. 22:47 That is the link between knowledge and bhakti. 22:52 That is why in JKYog, we have chosen the slogan: "Transforming the world through wisdom." 23:02 So in this power-packed mantra, we are being told that learn to understand the connection between God and the world.

A Story that PROVES the Law of Karma – The ONLY Way to Control Your Destiny | Swami Mukundananda

A Story that PROVES the Law of Karma – The ONLY Way to Control Your Destiny | Swami Mukundananda


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE6Ank6VLgA

condensed to 25 main points:
Time Salient Point 1 0:00 Fundamental Law: Life is governed by the timeless and unchanging Law of Karma. "just as the universe is bound by unchanging physical laws so is life governed by the timeless law of karma" 2 0:00 Core Principle: The law asserts that every action has an inevitable reaction. "it states 'You reap what you sow, you get what you  deserve.'" 3 0:38 Transcendence of Time: Karmic reactions aren't always immediate; they can stretch beyond one lifetime into many more. "sometimes this circle stretches beyond one lifetime into many more" 4 0:51 The Seed Analogy: Some actions are like seeds that lie dormant for lifetimes before finally finding their season. "there are also seeds that lie dormant for lifetimes before finally finding their season" 5 1:26 Annie Besant's Profile: The law is examined through the life of Annie Besant, a brilliant orator and philanthropist. "in the life of Annie Besant who was at one time the president of the Indian National Congress and the president of the Theosophical Society" 6 1:46 Unjust Suffering: Despite her fame, she suffered privately when her infant child endured severe, violent convulsions and terrifying fits. "she gave birth to a child who during his infancy suffered from violent convulsions... throwing him into terrifying fits" 7 2:19 Spiritual Doubt: Her inability to reconcile this suffering with a merciful God led her to become agnostic. "Annie Besant was at a total loss to understand how the all-loving... God had inflicted so much suffering... she turned agnostic" 8 2:47 The Revelation: Her worldview transformed when she learned about karma and reincarnation. "she went through a book which detailed out karma and reincarnation" 9 3:00 Multi-Life View: She realized the present suffering was the result of deeds done in previous lifetimes. "what we experience as suffering now could be the results of deeds done in previous lifetimes" 10 3:38 The Grain Silo Analogy: Life is like a silo where one must clear the old, bad grain (past wrongdoings) before the new, good grain is accessed. "The first grain to come out will still be the old bad one. Similarly, we may be living righteously now but still face results of past wrongdoings." 11 4:25 Multi-Innings Match: Life is a multi-innings test match, not a single game. "a life is not a single innings, it is a multi-inings test match" 12 4:48 Ultimate Fairness: The scores we start with are the carry-forward from our previous innings, making the match ultimately fair. "the scores we start with are not random they are the carry forward from our previous innings... life gives us what we have earned" 13 5:13 Karma as a Tool: Karma is more than retribution (punishment for a crime); it is a tool for spiritual growth and self-improvement. "it is actually a tool for spiritual growth and our self-improvement" 14 5:36 Bhagavad Gita's Teaching: Shree Krishna confirms that the Lord reciprocates with everyone based on their surrender. "shri Krishna states... the Lord reciprocates with everyone as they surrender to him" 15 6:08 God as Lawgiver: For those who deny God, He manifests through the Law of Karma to dispense results. "for those who deny the existence of God, he meets them in the form of the law of karma" 16 6:20 God as Protector: For those who take God as their sole refuge, He cares for them like a mother cares for her child. "for those who look upon God as their only goal and refuge, he takes care of them just as a mother takes care of her child" 17 6:44 Freedom and Responsibility: Karma offers us freedom to choose our actions, but imposes full responsibility for the consequences. "we are free to choose our actions but we are also responsible for the consequences" 18 7:09 The Churchill Connection: The quick visible operation of the law is illustrated through the story of Randolph Churchill (Winston's father). "Another story where this timeless law revealed itself in the most astonishing way" 19 7:55 Randolph Churchill's Kindness: Churchill sponsored the medical education of a kind farm boy, Alexander Fleming, who helped him from a mishap. "Randolph Churchill was so impressed... that he sponsored the boy's university medical education" 20 8:53 Winston Churchill's Crisis: Half a century later, Randolph's son, Winston Churchill, lay dying from furious pneumonia. "his son Winston Churchill lay gripped by a furious pneumonia death was looming" 21 9:15 Fleming's Discovery: Winston's life was saved by the revolutionary drug, Penicillin. "doctors administered a revolutionary new drug called penicillin" 22 9:19 Karmic Reciprocity: The miracle drug was discovered by Alexander Fleming, the very same farm boy whose education Randolph had sponsored. "that miracle cure had been discovered by a Scottish-born physician Alexander Fleming. He was the very same farm boy..." 23 9:54 Variable Timeframe: Karmic reactions, like the effects of lifestyle choices, can take hours, years, decades—or lifetimes—to manifest. "different actions bring reactions after different time durations... for the soul which is on an eternal journey the action reaction period may range many lifetimes" 24 10:54 Invisible but Unfailing: The law itself is unseen and imperceptible (like gravity), but its effect is visible and irrevocable. "the law of karma is unseen yet unfailing the effect is visible or perceptible while the cause is invisible or imperceptible" 25 11:14 Pleading Ignorance: We cannot plead ignorance of the law; it is our responsibility to learn the laws that govern God’s creation. "living in God's creation it is our own responsibility to learn the laws that govern it"

3 Life-Changing Diwali Lessons from Shree Ram that WILL Illumine Your Mind | Swami Mukundananda

3 Life-Changing Diwali Lessons from Shree Ram that WILL Illumine Your Mind | Swami Mukundananda

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cuu5aZQseOs

This video, titled "3 Life-Changing Diwali Lessons from Shree Ram that WILL Illumine Your Mind," by Swami Mukundananda, focuses on drawing spiritual lessons from three key episodes in the life of Lord Ram and his associates. • The core messages revolve around the themes of fearlessness through faith, the nature of selfless love, and the value of simplicity in devotion. • The discourse presents three major lessons, using characters from the Ramayana: 1. The Lesson of Fearlessness and Faith (Angad) • The video narrates the episode where Lord Ram sends Angad, the son of Bali, as a messenger to Ravana to offer him one final chance for reconciliation and forgiveness [01:38]. • Fearlessness in Service: Angad is fearless walking into the enemy's golden city, Lanka, despite being surrounded by rakshasas, because he is a messenger of Ram and trusts in his Lord's protection [02:01]. • The Power of Devotion: When Angad enters Ravana's court, everyone automatically stands up, demonstrating that they are expressing reverence not for Angad himself, but for Angad as a servant of Ram (Ram Das) [03:08]. • Challenge to Ravana: Angad tells Ravana his only path to salvation is to fall at the feet of Ram, weep, and beg for forgiveness [04:49]. When Ravana criticizes Ram, Angad smashes his fist on the ground, causing the earth to tremble and Ravana's crowns to fall [05:44]. • Ultimate Test of Faith: Angad plants his foot on the ground and challenges Ravana or any of his courtiers to move it, proclaiming that if they succeed, they will win Sita. No one is able to move his foot. When Ravana finally bows to grab the foot, Angad screams, "If you have to grab anybody's feet, grab the feet of Ram" [08:06]. • The Takeaway: The speaker concludes that one's faith should be in the Lord to remain fearless [09:00]. Placing faith in material things like bank balances or insurance policies only results in fear because those things can be snatched away in a moment [08:36]. 2. The Lesson of Selfless Love and Sacrifice (Kaikeyi) The speaker defends Kaikeyi, suggesting she was actually a great devotee who made the ultimate sacrifice for Lord Ram's divine mission (Ram Leela) [09:34]. • Divine Request: Ram approached Kaikeyi and asked her to be the reason for his exile. He told her his request would be "disastrous" for her, causing her to lose her husband and separate from her son [10:35]. • The Purpose: Ram explained that he needed to go to the forest to meet devotees like Shabri, who had been waiting for him, and to defeat the rakshasas [10:53]. • The Sacrifice: Kaikeyi agreed, saying she was willing to get a bad name for Ram's sake if it made him happy [11:30]. To prepare for the lila (divine play), she started distancing herself from Ram [12:32]. • The Takeaway: The speaker emphasizes that love is about sacrifice, not self-seeking [12:22]. Kaikeyi's act of taking on the role of the villain, enduring the poison of blame for Ram's glory, is presented as an act of profound, selfless love [09:22]. 3. The Lesson of Simplicity (Hanuman) • The final lesson highlights the pure and simple nature of devotion, using the story of Hanuman and Sita. • Simple Devotion: Sita tells Hanuman that she applies sindur (vermilion) because it pleases Ram [13:39]. • Literal Application: Hanuman, in his simplicity, reasons that if a little sindur on the forehead makes Ram pleased, then covering his entire body must please him even more, so he decks himself completely in sindur [13:56]. • The Takeaway: Since then, the practice of decking the idol of Hanuman with sindur began, symbolizing the simplicity of his heart [14:26]. The Real Goal of Diwali – Bringing Shree Ram into Your Heart Time Transcript Lesson 1 – Power of Faith and Surrender (Angad’s Story) 0:43 Oh Lord, stay in the hearts of those 0:47 devotees who are full of reverence, and 0:51 in their hearts they depend only upon You 0:57 for their protection. 1:01 Take a look at Angad. 1:04 When the bridge was built over the ocean 1:09 from Rameshwaram to Lanka 1:13 and the army crossed over, 1:17 they resided there. It was nighttime. 1:20 Next morning, 1:22 Ram said, "Now what strategy should we 1:25 employ?" 1:28 So Jambawan suggested, "My Lord, You are 1:33 most proper in Your conduct and in 1:36 following Dharma. 1:38 You should give Ravana one chance." 1:42 Ram said, "Very correct." He called over 1:45 Angad, Bali-Putra (son of Bali), the nephew of Sugriva. He says, 1:51 "Angad, go as my messenger and try and 1:56 convince Ravana." 1:58 So Angad is going into the mouth of the 2:01 enemy. 2:03 Imagine 2:04 all the Rakshasa demons are there, but Angad 2:08 is fearless. "My Lord has sent me. He is 2:12 protecting me." 2:14 So he walked in. He jumped over the wall 2:18 of Lanka City. It was a golden city, and 2:22 he walked in. Now the Rakshasas 2:27 they all see a monkey is coming, and they 2:30 wonder, "Is he the same monkey?" They're 2:33 referring to Hanuman, who burned the 2:35 whole city. They start moving out. He 2:38 says, "Where is the palace of your king?" 2:40 " (scared, they told) There, there, there not here." 2:43 So, Angad, seeing the respect they are 2:46 offering to him, realizes it is not due 2:49 to him. It is all due to Hanuman. He 2:52 walks in. 2:54 When he reached the palace, Ravana's 2:57 servants informed, "One monkey has come. 3:00 He wishes to meet you." 3:03 Ravana said, "Call him in." 3:06 The moment Angad walked in, 3:10 everybody in that court of Ravana, they 3:12 all stood up. 3:15 So Ravana said, "Why are you standing up? 3:17 Sit down." 3:19 Ravana's rule was that even if a Devata 3:22 comes, 3:24 nobody should stand up. 3:27 So automatically they expressed their 3:30 reverence to Ram Das, the servant of 3:34 Ram. 3:36 So Ravana asked Angad, "Who are you?" 3:40 Angad said, "I am a messenger from Ram, and 3:45 I have come with a message for you." 3:49 Ravana said, "Really? Where are you from?" 3:53 Angad said, "I am actually a child of your 3:59 friend." Ravana said, "My friend? I don't 4:02 have any friends. Whom are you referring 4:04 to?" 4:06 Angad said, "Do you remember there was a 4:08 monkey in South India called Bali?" 4:12 Now that rang a bell in Ravana's head 4:15 because a fight had taken place between 4:18 Bali and Ravana, and Bali had kept Ravana's 4:22 head under his armpit for 6 months. So 4:26 Angad is reminding him, "Remember Bali?" 4:30 Ravana said, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. How is 4:32 he doing nowadays?" 4:34 Angad said, "Where he has gone, you are 4:37 going to go in 10 days if you don't 4:39 listen to me." 4:41 Ravana said, "What? He is dead?" 4:44 So Angad said, "Look, you have committed a 4:48 crime, 4:49 and the penalty for that is death. 4:53 But I have come to give you one chance. 4:56 You go and fall at the feet of Ram, 5:01 and cry, weep, and beg for forgiveness. 5:05 Ram is kind. He will condone all your 5:09 offenses and free you. That is your only 5:12 chance." 5:15 Ravana said, "You have the gumption (guts) to 5:18 speak to me like this? Nobody does in 5:21 the three worlds. 5:23 Tell me, if Ram is as good as you are 5:28 claiming he is, then why did his father 5:31 take him out of the city and send him to 5:33 the forest? 5:35 If he is so wonderful, why is he roaming 5:38 around in the forest in an ascetic way, 5:41 performing tapas?" By hearing Ram criticized 5:45 like that, Angad could not tolerate. 5:49 He took his fist and smashed it on the 5:51 ground. 5:53 "How dare you speak like that?" And the 5:56 earth started trembling. 5:59 The crowns on Ravana's head, they fell to 6:02 the ground. So Angad grabbed four and 6:06 tossed them. And Ravana quickly put the 6:09 others back on his head. Now, Ram 6:12 was sitting outside with his army when 6:15 some unidentified flying objects, UFOs, 6:18 came. People asked, "What are these?" Ram 6:22 said, "These are Ravana's crowns. They are 6:25 being sent as samples by Angad." 6:29 So Angad said, "You know, I just smashed 6:32 the ground, and you saw what happened. 6:35 Supposing I had smashed your head, what 6:37 would have happened?" The courtiers said, 6:40 "No, no, no, no, don't do anything like that." 6:43 Now Angad asked Ravana, "If you are so 6:47 infatuated by Mother Sita, 6:50 why did you not go for the Swayamvar?" 6:54 Ravana said, "I did go there, but then some 6:57 work came up, and I saw the bow is of my 7:00 Guru, Lord Shiva. How can I break it?" 7:04 Angad said, "In that case, I'll create a new Swayamvar 7:08 for you." Now this is his faith in the 7:12 Lord's heart. 7:14 He has full conviction 7:17 that he has been sent for the Lord's 7:19 work, and Ram will protect him. Angad 7:24 said, "I'll make a new Swayamvar for you." He 7:27 planted his foot on the ground and said, 7:31 "You lift my foot, anybody in this court, 7:34 and we will lose Sita." 7:38 Ravana said, "Wow." He asked some of them 7:41 go. Now one after the other they go and 7:44 catch Angad's feet, but they are unable 7:47 to move it. 7:50 Angad said, "Ravana, why are you sending 7:52 these intermediaries? Why don't you come 7:55 yourself?" 7:57 Ravana now came, 8:00 approached Angad's leg. He bowed down and 8:05 grabbed his foot to shake it, and Angad 8:08 suddenly screamed, "If you have to grab 8:10 anybody's feet, don't grab my feet, grab 8:12 the feet of Ram." So Ravana became nistej 8:17 lusterless. 8:19 Embarrassed, he walked off. Angad said, 8:22 "We will now meet you in the 8:25 battleground. The matter is settled." 8:28 Saying that, he went back. 8:31 Valmiki Ji says, "Where is your faith? 8:35 Who is protecting you? 8:38 Your house 8:40 or your bank balance, or the insurance 8:44 policy? 8:46 All of these can be snatched away in a 8:50 moment. 8:52 If your faith is in these, then you will 8:56 always have fear. And if your faith is 9:00 in the Lord, you will be fearless." Lesson 2 – The Spirit of Sacrifice (Kaikeyi’s Story) 9:11 This Ram virah 9:15 is the thing that churned the Bharat’s love, 9:19 and the nectar that came out is what we 9:22 relish 9:24 that spread his glory throughout the 9:27 three worlds, 9:29 and the poison that came out was drunk 9:31 by Kaikeyi. 9:34 So Kaikeyi was also actually a great 9:36 devotee. Ram says, 9:47 "Mother, those people will blame you who 9:50 have not understood the meaning of Ram Leela 9:54 through Satsang." 9:57 Why? When Ram was little, Kaikeyi was so 10:01 fond of Ram. She would always be around 10:05 Ram. 10:07 And then one day when Ram was in 10:10 Ayodhya, 10:14 he said to Kaikeyi, 10:17 "Do you really love me?" Kaikeyi said, 10:21 "More than anything else." 10:24 Ram said, "I need to ask something from 10:26 you. Will you do it?" 10:29 Kaikeyi said, "Whatever you ask." 10:33 Ram said, "What I'm going to ask will be 10:36 disastrous for you. You will lose your 10:38 husband 10:40 and your son will separate himself from 10:43 you." 10:46 Kaikeyi said, "What is it You are going to ask?" 10:49 Ram said, "There are people in the forest 10:52 who are waiting for me. 10:55 There is Shabari who has been waiting for 10:58 so many years in the hope that I will 11:02 come to her hut. 11:04 I have to fulfill all those things. I 11:07 have to do the Vadh (slaying) of the Rakshasas. 11:11 So I need a reason to go into the forest, 11:15 and you will be the reason for it. When 11:18 the time comes, I will inspire you, and 11:21 you will create the problem." 11:25 Kaikeyi thought that this is most 11:28 terrible, but if it's what You want, if it's 11:32 what's making You happy, I am willing. 11:36 This is the selflessness of her love: "If 11:40 for Your sake I need to get a bad name, I 11:44 don't mind." 11:47 See, till today there is no second Kaikeyi; 11:52 nobody named their daughter as 11:55 Kaikeyi. There was one Kaikeyi in that Yuga. After 11:59 that, no mother ever named their daughter 12:02 As Kaikeyi 12:04 Ram says, 12:12 he says, "You are my dear mother, and 12:16 you're going to come along with me to my 12:18 Saket (abode)." 12:22 So Kaikeyi made that sacrifice. Sacrifice is 12:26 what love is all about. Love is not 12:29 about self-seeking. Love is about 12:32 sacrifice always. 12:35 Kaikeyi then decided, "If I need to do such 12:39 an atrocious thing, I need to start 12:42 distancing myself from Ram." And since 12:46 that day she would start maintaining her 12:48 distance. 12:50 So Ram knows the heart of Kaikeyi. He 12:55 went and offered his respects to her. He 12:58 offered his respects to Sumitra because 13:00 she has made the sacrifice of her son 13:02 who has come in seva and He offered 13:05 his respects to Kaushalya. Lesson 3 – The Beauty of Devotion (Hanuman’s Story) 13:17 Hanuman is such a great devotee with so 13:21 much of love. 13:23 But 13:28 once Sita Mata was doing her Shringar (adornment), 13:33 and Hanuman came and asked, "माते (Mother), why do 13:38 you put this Sindur (vermilion) in your forehead?" 13:42 Sita thought, "How to explain to this 13:44 Brahmachari?" 13:46 She said, "You know, when I put this, then 13:49 Ram is very pleased." 13:52 Hanuman thought, "Ram is pleased by the 13:54 putting of Sindur, then why just put it 13:56 on the forehead?" He went and put it all 13:59 over his body. 14:02 And when he came, he was fully red. 14:06 So Ram said, "What is this?" 14:10 He said, "Ma told me You are very pleased 14:13 when we put Sindur. So I have decked 14:15 myself up with Sindur." 14:18 And since then they started decking the 14:21 Murti (idol) of Hanuman with Sindur, a symbol 14:26 of the simplicity of his heart.

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

तेरी मिट्टी में खो जाऊँ, Clarion Call from Vrindavan - Iss Raj Mei Mai Kho Jaun - Teri Mitti - BHAJAN Cover by Madhavas

तेरी मिट्टी में खो जाऊँ, Clarion Call from Vrindavan - Iss Raj Mei Mai Kho Jaun - Teri Mitti - BHAJAN Cover by Madhavas

a lovely melodious & touching song for Vrindavan

https://youtu.be/dxdvPy8EMAU?t=80 इस रज में मैं खो जाऊँ इस ब्रज का ही हो जाऊँ इतनी सी है दिल की आरज़ू Let me get lost in this soil Let me be owned by this land Brij All I want is only this 1 तेरे प्रेम में हर सुख वार दिया तेरे ध्यान में दिल ये लगाया  है तब जा के कहीं हमने तेरा नाम अपनी सांसो पे सजया है 2 हे कान्हा मेरे, तेरे दर पे रहूँ  तू ना आंख से इक पल ओझल हो मैं दूर रहूँ वृंदावन से जीवन में कभी न वो पल हो 3 हे राधे मेरी, मेरी महारानी हर वेद की तुम ही कहानी हो जो प्रेम जगत का सार हो तुम उस प्रेम की अमित निशानी हो 4 इस रज में मैं खो जाऊं इस ब्रज का ही हो जाऊँ  इतनी सी है दिल की आरजू 5 इन लताओं सा लहराउँ  यमुना मैय्या सा बह जाऊँ  इतनी सी है दिल की आरजू 6 ओ बांके मेरे बड़े छलिया तुम इस ब्रज के तुम महाराजा हो हर गोपी यही पुकार रही ओ कान्हा दूर तू ना जा हो 7 ब्रज भूमि मेरी तेरा हर कण कण बस प्रेम ही प्रेम दुहाई दे चाहे कान लगा कर सुन लो तुम बस राधा राधा सुनाई दे 8 बरसाने तेरे घर आऊँ  इस रस में ही तर जाऊँ  इतनी सी है दिल की आरज़ू 9 तुम आदि पुरुष तुम अंत में हो हर पापी में हर सन्त में हो तुम धरती में तुम व्योम में हो ब्रह्माण्ड के हर इक रोम में हो 10 सब कुछ होकर गोपाल से तुम मेरे नंद के छोटे लाल से तुम कान्हा कुछ और तू ना देना बस अपनी भक्ति सदा देना 11 आखिर की जब सांस मैं लूँ हे गोविंद तेरे नाम से लूँ इतनी सी है दिल की आरजू 1 In love of Thine, all joys I do surrender, My heart is fixed upon Thy contemplation deep, And only then Thy Name, so soft and tender, Upon my every breath I finally keep. 2 O my Kanhaiya, upon Thy doorstep let me stay, Mayst Thou not vanish from my sight even one fleeting moment, May that day never come, to be away From Vrindavan's enchanting bower. 3 O Radhe, my queen, my sovereign might, Of every Veda, Thou art the single tale, The very essence of all worldly light, Of Love's deep truth, Thou art the endless trail. 4 In this sacred dust, oh, let my being lose its form, To be a part of Braj soil, this is my soul's desire, To let my life be merged in Braj This is the simple wish that sets my heart afire. 5 Like these vines, let me gently swing and sway, Like Mother Yamuna, let my spirit softly flow, This is the humble plea I utter day by day, The only aspiration that my deep heart can know. 6 O Bānke, my beautiful, great trickster Thou art known, The sovereign ruler of this hallowed land of Braj, Every Gopi's cry is echoing, deep and lone, O Kanhaiya, please, let us never see Thee go. 7 Braj Bhoomi mine, every speck of Thy ground, Resounds with nothing but the call of purest Love, Whether by ear or deepest feeling, it is found, Only "Radha, Radha" rings from earth to skies above. 8 To Barsana's gates, let my tired footsteps roam, To be submerged and purified in this divine sweet grace, This is the final longing that guides my spirit home, To find my heart's true yearning in that sacred space. 9 Thou art the first, the end of all that is begun, In every sinner, and in every holy saint, Thou art in the earth, the sky, the moon, the sun, In every single fiber of the cosmic constraint. 10 Though Thou art all things, O Gopal, so grand and vast, Yet to me, Thou art my Nand's little child so dear, Kanhaiya, ask for naught else that forever shall last, But let Thy devotion be my only treasure here. 11 When I draw my final breath, and all is done, O Govind, let it be spoken with Thy sacred name, This is the final solace that my heart has won, This is the single burning wick of my soul's flame.

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

The Story that REVEALS Shree Ram’s Diwali Wisdom – How Faith removes Darkness by Swmai Mukundanand

The Story that REVEALS Shree Ram’s Diwali Wisdom – How Faith removes Darkness by Swmai Mukundanand

https://youtu.be/6rulwaWjt04

This video by Swami Mukundananda narrates a significant story from the Ramayana involving Lord Shiva, Sati, and Lord Ram to illustrate the spiritual lesson of faith versus material intellect and understanding the divine nature of God's actions, known as Lila (pastimes). [00:00] Once Lord Shiv desired to relish the Ram Katha ras (nectar of the story). So, accompanied by Sati, he went to the ashram of [00:11] Agastya Rishi. Agastya Rishi saw that the Lord has come, he welcomed Shiv and Sati. So Shiv was pleased with [00:23] the Rishi's devotion. However, Sati used her buddhi (intellect): "We are coming to listen to a Katha (story) from him, and he is [00:32] doing our puja (worship). What a bhondu bhatt (fraud) he is!" So Sati used her buddhi there. Now Shiv requested Agastya that [00:43] "I wish to hear the Ram Katha." So Agastya said, "Maharaj, if it is your wish, I will relate it [00:50] to you." So Agastya related the whole Katha to Shiv, and Sati was also sitting there, but Sati’s mentality had [01:01] got corrupted. In her mind was the doubt, "Look, what Katha will he tell us? What does he know? He [01:09] was doing our puja a little while ago." So she did not listen with faith. At the end of the Katha [01:21] Shiv was pleased and he said, "Maharaj, what dakshina (offering) can we offer to you?" Agastya said, "Maharaj, what dakshina [01:32] can I take from you? If you so wish, you please explain Bhakti Tattva (the principle of devotion) to me." So Shiv explained Bhakti [01:42] Tattva to Agastya and blessed him with devotion. And then Shiv and Sati passed by in the forest. Now [01:54] this coincided with the time when Ram was in the forest. So Ram had gone for His vanvas (exile) and in [02:04] the vanvas the Sita Haran (abduction of Sita) had taken place. So subsequent to the Sita Haran, Ram and Lakshman were going, and [02:17] Ram was yearning, "Where has Sita gone?" Ram’s yearning was absolutely supernormal. Now if somebody’s family member gets lost [02:32] they go and report to the police, announce on television, but nobody goes and asks a tree, "Mr. Tree, have [02:39] you seen my child running from here?" But Ram is experiencing such pangs of separation from Sita. He is asking [02:50] the trees and the animals: Hey Khag Mrig Hey Madhukar Shreni, Tum Dekhi Sita Mrig-Naini. (O birds, beasts, and rows of bees, have you seen the doe-eyed Sita?) [Lord Ram's lamentation quoted]. [03:07] Lakshman man samjhaye bahuti, poochhat chale lata tarupati. E vidhi khojat vilapat swami, manahu maha virah ati kaami. (Lakshman tried to console him many times, but the Lord continued asking the creepers and trees. The Lord wandered and lamented, like a man intensely desirous for his beloved wife.) [Continuation of Lord Ram's lamentation]. [03:25] Like a very desirous man searches for his wife, Ram was in that situation. He seemed to have completely lost His senses. He is asking the trees and [03:33] He is asking the creepers, "Where is my Sita gone?" Lakshman tries to explain, but Ram doesn't understand. In this [03:44] situation, Shiv and Sati saw Ram. So Shiv offered his pranam and said, "He is Sat-chit-ananda Para-Brahma Prabhu. What a Lila [03:57] you are doing!" So Shiv understood, "My Lord is doing a Lila. When He hides His almightiness, that is the [04:06] Lila. So my Lord is doing a Lila." Now supposing your neighbor says that, "Look, I am participating in a [04:16] drama. You come and listen to it/see it." And you go there, and in the drama that person is [04:23] acting like a crook, so you will not stand up from the audience, "What kind of acting you are doing?" [04:29] You will just stand and watch. So Shiv is watching the Lila of my Prabhu, but Sati’s buddhi was already [04:37] corrupted. Sati started thinking, "What kind of Bhagwan (God) is he?" [04:44] So she said, Kabahu yog viyog na jaage, dekha prakat virah dukh taage. (God is He who never suffers union or separation, but here He is openly showing the distress of separation). [Sati's corrupted logic]. [04:59] ...because God is everywhere, how can you have viyog (separation) from God? But Tulsidas says you can't even have [05:12] yog (union). Why yog? Because [05:19] day happens when there was night, and if there was no night, there will be no day as well. So [05:26] in the sun it is nitya din (eternal day). In the same way, Bhagwan has nitya yog (eternal union) with all living entities. But [05:38] the same Ram is suffering viyog from his wife. So Sati said, "What kind of Bhagwan is he?" But then [05:48] she thought, "My husband has done pranam. Shambhu gira muni mrisha na hoi, Shiv sarvagya jaan sab koi. (Shambhu [Shiva] cannot lie, Shiva is all-knowing and knows everything)." So he [06:01] must be Bhagwan. But Bhagwan is not like this. Bhagwan is Sarvagya (all-knowing), and He doesn't even know where [06:11] His wife has gone. So Shiv said, "Look Sati, you do what you want, I am telling you He [06:19] is Bhagwan." Shiv left, thinking: Hoi hai soi jo Ram rach rakha, ko kari tark badhahi sakha. (Whatever Ram has ordained, that is what is going to happen. Who can debate or argue with that?) [Shiv's resolute faith]. [06:31] So Shiv went off and he said, "Be careful how you behave." [06:40] But Sati’s buddhi was affected. She said, "Alright, let me take a test and I will find out whether [06:48] He is Bhagwan or He is not Bhagwan." So Sati, by her maya (illusory power), she took on the form of Sita [06:59] herself and she sat down there. "That if He is God, He will come to know. And if He is [07:09] not God, He will say, 'Oh, this is where you—we were looking for you!' And Lakshman will say, 'Arey [07:18] Bhabhi Ji (sister-in-law), we found you!' So it will be a great find." So now Ram, He was saying, "Ha Seete, Ha [07:29] Seete," and He saw Sati in the form of Sita. So He just ignored her: "Ha Seete, Ha Seete." Sati [07:39] thought, "Maybe He did not see me." So again she went and sat down in front. Ram is coming: [07:46] "Ha Seete, Ha Seete." And then He sees Sati in the form of Sita. He became extremely serious: "Mother, you [07:55] are sitting here, where is my Father?" Sati kapatu janeu sur swami, sab darasi sab antaryami. (The Lord, the master of the gods, who is the all-seer and the indwelling soul of all, knew Sati's deceit). [Ram instantly recognized her]. [08:12] For Sarvagya (the All-knowing), what is the problem in knowing whether this is Sati or Sita? Sumirat jah mit agyana (Remembrance of whom destroys all ignorance). So Sarvagya [08:24] Ram Bhagwan—He is Sarvagya, He knows everything. So in His Lila, Ram worships Shiv as His Ishta Dev (worshipable deity); He worships [08:38] him in Rameswaram. So because Shiv is His Ishta Dev, Sati is His mother. So He is addressing Sati as "Mother": [08:47] "Mother, you are here, where is my Father?" Sati said, "Oh, He has recognized me!" She ran from there. And [08:57] when she ran, wherever she looked she saw Ram, Lakshman, and Sita. She looked here: there they are, and devatas [09:05] are doing the puja. And she looked there: there they are. She realized that He is Bhagwan. Remember in [09:14] the case of the Lord, it is always a Lila. Whenever your mind starts getting confused, like Sati’s mind got [09:26] confused, remind yourself, "These are divine pastimes." The goal is not to engage the intellect there, but to engage [09:39] the mind and thereby be purified. This video narrates a pivotal episode from the Ramayana where Lord Shiva’s wife, Sati, attempts to test Lord Ram, revealing a profound lesson on the difference between faith (Shraddha) and skeptical intellect (Buddhi) in spiritual matters. 1. The Corruption of Intellect The story begins with Lord Shiva and Sati visiting Agastya Rishi to hear the Ram Katha. Shiva was pleased by the Rishi's devotion. However, Sati allowed her material intellect to corrupt her judgment.  When the Rishi, in his humility, performed their worship, Sati questioned his spiritual standing, thinking: "We came to learn from him, yet he is worshipping us. What authority does he have?" Due to this doubt, she listened to the sacred story without faith. 2. The Illusion of Suffering (Lila) Later, Shiva and Sati encountered Lord Ram in the forest during his exile, shortly after the abduction of Sita. Ram was experiencing intense, human-like grief and yearning (viyog), asking the trees and animals if they had seen his wife. • Shiva's Faith: Shiva, recognizing the Supreme Truth, immediately understood this suffering to be Lord Ram's Lila (divine pastime). He offered his obeisance, recognizing Ram as the Sachchidananda Parabrahma (Eternal, Blissful Absolute Truth) who was simply hiding His omnipotence as part of His divine play. • Sati's Doubt: Sati, however, could not reconcile this image of a grieving man with her concept of an all-knowing, omnipresent God who should never suffer separation. Her corrupted intellect compelled her to seek proof. 3. The Divine Test and Recognition Sati decided to test Ram by transforming herself into the exact image of Sita and sitting in Ram's path. Her plan was that if Ram was just a regular man, he would be fooled and embrace her as his wife. However, when Ram saw Sati in Sita's form, he stopped his lamentation. Instead of acknowledging her as Sita, he immediately addressed her with seriousness, saying, "Mother, you are sitting here, where is my Father?" Ram, the Sarvagya (All-knowing) and Antaryami (Indwelling Soul), instantly saw through the deceit. He called her "Mother" because, as Lord Shiva's wife, she was spiritually akin to his mother (Lord Shiva being Ram's chosen deity, or Ishta Dev). 4. The Final Conclusion Sati's trick failed. She realized she had been recognized. As she fled, she was granted a vision where she saw Ram, Lakshman, and Sita everywhere, along with the gods worshipping them. She finally realized the Truth: Ram is the Supreme Lord. The Spiritual Lesson: The Swami concludes that the Lord's actions are always a Lila (divine pastime). When our mind is confused by the apparent contradictions in God's actions, we must remember this truth.  The goal of spiritual life is not to engage the limited, material intellect to critique or understand the divine, but to engage the mind with faith (Shraddha) to purify it. https://youtu.be/6rulwaWjt04

Monday, October 23, 2023

Bhagavad Gita Part 17 (Shlok 4.17) कर्म, अकर्म और विकर्म क्या है? (What are Karma, Akarma, and Vikarma?)" by Swami Mukundananda

Bhagavad Gita Part 17 (Shlok 4.17) कर्म, अकर्म और विकर्म क्या है? (What are Karma, Akarma, and Vikarma?)" by Swami Mukundananda

Swami Mukundananda, explains the intricate nature of Vedic actions (Karma), forbidden actions (Vikarma), and actionlessness in action (Akarma/Karma Yoga).

[ ] within bracket is the time stamp of video [00:00] भक्ति में आप चाहे राम राम बोले चाहे मरा मरा बोले भगवान को फर्क नहीं पड़ता वो भाव ग्राही हैं [00:09] भाव ग्राही जनार्दन, लेकिन कर्मकांड में भगवान बहुत strict है तो यह कर्मकांड से क्या फल मिलेगा ? इससे भगवत प्राप्ति नहीं होगी। [00:23] इससे संसार का फल मिलेगा या मृत्यु लोक का वैभव या स्वर्ग लोक की प्राप्ति। [01:04] The intricacies of action are very hard to understand. Therefore one should know properly what action is, what forbidden action is and what inaction is. https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/4/17/ [01:36] तो श्री कृष्ण अब कहते हैं कि अर्जुन तुझे कर्म के संबंध में तीन सिद्धांत समझने होंगे: एक कर्म, दूसरा विकर्म, और तीसरा अकर्म। [02:04] अकर्म का दूसरा नाम है कर्म योग। [02:23] हमारे शास्त्रों में जो वर्णाश्रम धर्म बताया गया है यानी चार वर्ण चार आश्रम इसके अनुसार लंबे चौड़े विधि विधान हैं। यह जो विधान आदि है इसको कहते हैं कर्म। [03:00] उसमें कुछ नियम नित्य कर्म कहलाते हैं। नित्य कर्म कौन से हैं जो रोज करने हैं (जैसे “संध्या” करो, स्नान करो)। इसका कोई फल नहीं। नहीं करोगे तो दंड मिलेगा (जैसे Government को tax देना)। [04:21] दूसरे हैं नैमित्तिक कर्म। यह कभी कभी करने (सूर्य ग्रहण हो गया, चंद्र ग्रहण हो गया, मृत्यु के समय सूतक)। यह भी करने है क्योंकि करने हैं। इनका कोई फल नहीं। [05:05] तीसरे नियम कहलाते हैं काम्य कर्म। जो संसारी फल इच्छा के लिए किए जाते हैं। पुत्र चाहिए तो पुत्रेष्टी यज्ञ करो। [05:25] और चौथे, मान लो आपसे गो हत्या हो गई अनजाने में... अब उसका पाप लगा, तो पाप को नष्ट करने के लिए हमारे शास्त्र विधान बताते हैं प्रायश्चित कर्म। [06:29] यह चार के नियम कर्म के अंतर्गत। इनका लंबा चौड़ा detail वेदों में, Manusmriti में है, Mimansa darshan में है, Mahabharat में है। सुबह उठने से लेकर रात को सोने तक क्या करना यह कर्म कहलाता। (Mimansa Darshan is one of the six classical Hindu schools of philosophy that focuses on the critical investigation of the Vedas and their rituals.) [07:01] लेकिन इसमें हमको समझने की बात यह है कि यह नियम बहुत बारीक हैं और अगर आपको फल चाहिए तो थोड़ी सी भी त्रुटि नहीं होनी चाहिए (जैसे यज्ञ में मंत्र बोलते हैं)। [08:57] नियम ये है कि एक स्वर में भी यदि गलती हो गई आपका पूरा कर्मकांड बेकार चला गया। यह वेद का विधान इतना कड़ा है। [09:21] भक्ति में ऐसा नहीं है । भक्ति में आप चाहे राम राम बोले चाहे मरा मरा बोले भगवान को फर्क नहीं पड़ता वह भाव ग्राही हैं। [09:28] लेकिन कर्मकांड में भगवान बहुत strict हैं  [09:46] एक बार इंद्र का पतन हो गया इसी कारण से, जब नहुष इंद्र बने थे, तो उनका गलत स्वर का उच्चारण कराया गया और उनका पतन हो गया। [10:15] इतने कड़े नियम हैं वेदों में कि छह उपकरण है (देश, काल, पदार्थ, कर्ता, मंत्र, कर्म) यह छह के छह ठीक हों, तब वो यज्ञ का फल मिलेगा। [10:33] और यह छह के छह इस कलयुग में ठीक ठाक करना यह संभव ही नहीं है। [10:49] त्रेता युग में जब दशरथ जी महाराज को पुत्रेष्टी यज्ञ कराना था तो वशिष्ठ जी ने नहीं कराया, श्रृंगी ऋषि को बुलाया गया। [11:13] द्वापर युग में जब पांडवों को राजसूय यज्ञ कराना था तो उन्होंने श्री कृष्ण को आचार्य बनाया कि यदि श्री कृष्ण आचार्य रहेंगे कोई त्रुटि नहीं होगी। [12:07] पांडवों ने कहा, "अरे ब्रह्म जानाति इति ब्राह्मण (जो ब्रह्म को जानता है, वह ब्राह्मण है)।" तो क्या भगवान स्वयं ब्राह्मण नहीं है? [12:27] श्री कृष्ण ने कहा, "मैं आचार्य बनने को तैयार हूँ मगर हमारी शर्त रहेगी कि जितने पंडित आएंगे हम उनके झूठे पतल उठाएंगे।" [13:00] हमको ऐसे ब्राह्मण ही नहीं मिलेंगे जो सात स्वरों में उच्चारण करें। [13:30] तो यह कर्मकांड से क्या फल मिलेगा? इससे भगवत प्राप्ति नहीं होगी। इससे संसार का फल मिलेगा या मृत्यु लोक का वैभव या स्वर्ग लोक की प्राप्ति। [13:56] तो यह कर्म जो है भगवान ने इसलिए बनाया था कि समाज में लोगों को कुछ नियमों में बांध दिया जाए। In this talk, Swami Mukundananda explains the three principles of action (Karma, Vikarma, and Akarma) mentioned in Bhagavad Gita 4.17. The focus is on highlighting the restrictive nature and limited reward of Karma (Vedic rituals) compared to Bhakti (devotion). 1. The Three Actions (Trilogy of Action) Lord Krishna asks Arjuna to understand three concepts [01:36]: • Karma (Prescribed Action): Actions enjoined by the scriptures, primarily the Varnashrama Dharma (rules for the four social classes and four stages of life) [02:23]. • Vikarma (Forbidden Action): Actions that are prohibited by the scriptures (generally referred to as sinful or wrong actions). • Akarma (Actionlessness in Action): Also known as Karma Yoga [02:04]. This is the path of action performed without attachment to results, which leads to God-realization. 2. The Strictness and Types of Karma The scriptures detail four main types of Karma [06:29]: • Nitya Karma (Daily Duties): Actions that must be done every day (e.g., Sandhya Vandanam, ritual bathing). They yield no positive result if done, but not doing them incurs a sin or penalty (like paying taxes) [03:00]. • Naimittika Karma (Occasional Duties): Actions performed on specific occasions (e.g., during eclipses, or periods of impurity after a birth or death). They must be performed simply because they are rules [04:21]. • Kamya Karma (Desire-driven Actions): Rituals performed to fulfill a material desire (e.g., Putreshti Yagya to desire a son) [05:05]. • Prayaschitta Karma (Expiatory Actions): Rituals performed to nullify the sin of a wrong action (e.g., expiation for accidental cow-slaughter) [05:25]. 3. The Flaw of Karma in Kali Yuga The speaker emphasizes the extreme difficulty and impracticality of Karmakanda (ritualistic Vedic action): • Zero Error Tolerance: To achieve the desired result, the rituals must be performed with absolutely zero error [07:01]. • The Power of Swara (Intonation): The biggest difficulty lies in the pronunciation of mantras. A tiny error in the swara (intonation or musical pitch of the chanting) will ruin the entire ritual, rendering the whole effort useless [08:57]. The example is given of King Nahusha losing his position as Indra due to a wrong swara [09:46]. • Impracticality in Kali Yuga: The six components required for a perfect ritual (place, time, material, doer, mantra, and action) are almost impossible to get right in the current age (Kali Yuga) [10:33]. It is difficult to find priests who can correctly pronounce all seven swaras [13:00]. 4. Limited Results of Karma Even if a person manages to perfectly execute all the complex rituals, the result is limited [00:23]: • Karma does not lead to God-realization (Bhagavat Prapti) [00:23]. • It only yields worldly enjoyment, wealth in this mortal world, or attainment of heaven (Swarga Loka) [13:30]. 5. Bhakti vs. Karmakanda The speaker contrasts this with Bhakti (devotional service): • In Bhakti, God is "Bhava Grahi Janardana" (one who accepts the intention/emotion) [00:09]. God does not care if you chant "Ram Ram" or "Mara Mara"; the heart's feeling is what matters [09:21]. • In Karmakanda, God is "very strict" [09:28].

#1 Sign of a Krishna Conscious Mind – UNLOCK the Divinity in You by Swamu Mukundanand

#1 Sign of a Krishna Conscious Mind – UNLOCK the Divinity in You by Swamu Mukundanand


https://youtu.be/cdc0Wsef-U4

Swami Mukundananda, explains the ultimate sign of a mind united with God, as described in the Bhagavad Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam. [ ] within bracket is the time stamp of video [00:00] So Shri Krishna spoke four verses in the heart of Brahma. They are called the Chatushloki Bhagwat. Now Sri Krishna says that those yogis who have united their mind with me. It is not that they've united their mind with me alone. [00:19] Bhagavat Gita, Chapter 6, Dhyan Yog, the Yoga of Meditation. Shloka chanting is followed by translation and commentary by Swami Mukundananda. [01:01] The true yogis uniting their consciousness with God see with equal eye, all living beings in God and God in all living beings. [01:18] So now, at that stage, the yogi sees God everywhere. [01:28] "Oh, this Marxist Leninist is also searching for happiness because he's also part of God. This atheist is also searching for happiness. He's also part of the ocean of happiness." [01:40] Everybody is running after happiness because they are parts of God. Sri Krishna says, "Arjun, everybody is trying to reach Me." [02:09] Actually, Gita has got 700 verses, and the Bhagwatam has got 18,000 verses. We, in the mornings, we study the Mukut-mani of the Bhagwat, right? The Gopi Geet. [02:17] So the entire Bhagwat, it originated from four verses. They are called the Chatushloki Bhagwat. And these were first revealed to Brahma. [02:42] Brahma Ji is also Padma—one who is born from the lotus. From the navel of Vishnu Ji, the lotus came and Brahma Ji took birth. [03:03] He looked all around him. There was no Earth planet, no Texas, no Allen township, no Radha Krishna temple. All these will come later. [03:15] All he saw was an ocean of raw energy. And he started thinking, "Who am I? Why have I come here? What is my purpose?" [03:34] He started entering the stem of the lotus and went on going, going. There was no end to it. So he retraced his steps and again sat down on the lotus. [03:52] When he heard the waves of this ocean of energy making sounds—tapa, tapa, tapa—he said, "I see the message here is do tapasa (practice austerities)." [04:19] So he sat down and did his austerities, and finally Sri Krishna revealed Himself. So Sri Krishna spoke four verses in the heart of Brahma. They are called the Chatushloki Bhagwat. [04:29] On the basis of those, Sri Brahma Ji then created the world. [04:46] Brahma Ji: "When there was no creation ,i.e., before creation, what existed? God alone." Krishna says, "I alone existed and everything that is manifest in the form of creation is My very self." [05:28] "Likewise, you take a rocket and keep flying, at one place the universe will come to an end. What is there after creation?" He says, "I alone exist. When creation shall cease to be, I alone will remain. There's nothing apart from me. These are all manifestations of the divine." [05:58] Now Sri Krishna says that those yogis who have united their mind with me... the consequence is they see the whole world in its connection with God. [06:19] And when they reach that state, it is only natural. They cannot disrespect anyone because they can naturally see the others in their connection with the divine. [06:33] One little boy, he was going in the neighborhood and he saw a board on the fence of a ranch: "Puppies for sale." [07:40] The child took out from his pocket $3.23. He said, "For this much, will I be allowed to see the puppies?" The farmer said, "All right." [08:06] The kennel was opened and those little furry creatures came out. And much later, another furry creature came out. [08:24] This creature, the boy was looking carefully, was another puppy from the same litter, but it was not running at the same speed. It seemed to be hobbling. And then he realized it had only three legs. [08:44] He told the farmer, "That's the one I want. How much for that dog?" The farmer said, "Sunny, you don't want that. It's got only three legs." [08:52] So the little boy, he lifted his own trouser leg and showed that he had an artificial limb. He said, "He needs somebody who can understand his situation." [09:10] The farmer said, "You know, you just take him free. There's no charge for love." [09:18] Because he himself didn't have a leg, he could understand the plight of the little puppy who had one leg missing. It is just a sense of empathy. That is Sajjanta (gentlemanliness). [09:37] So the sign that our mind is in God is that we are naturally respectful to everyone because we see them all as parts of the divine. ________________________________________ English Elaboration The video explains the essence of a divine or Krishna-Conscious mind based on two main spiritual authorities: the Bhagavad Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam. 1. The Sign of a True Yogi (Gita) The ultimate sign of a true yogi, whose mind is united with God, is their equal vision [01:01]. • They see all living beings in God (as being connected to the divine source). • They see God in all living beings (as the soul or part of the Divine residing within them). • This vision explains why everyone, including atheists or Marxists, is searching for happiness—because they are parts of the Ocean of Happiness (God) [01:28]. • The consequence of this perspective is that one naturally respects everyone and "cannot disrespect anyone," as they see the entire world in its connection with the Divine [06:19]. 2. The Origin of All Creation (Bhagwatam) The speaker details the origin of the 18,000-verse Srimad Bhagavatam from just four verses, known as the Chatushloki Bhagwat [02:17]: • Brahma's Birth: Brahma Ji was born from a lotus emerging from Lord Vishnu's navel, finding himself in an ocean of raw energy with no creation [02:42]. • Austerity (Tapasa): After failing to find the source of the lotus, Brahma heard the message tapa, tapa, tapa (practice austerities) [03:52]. • The Divine Revelation: After performing tapasa, Shri Krishna revealed the four verses to Brahma's heart. These verses assert the absolute non-duality of God: "I alone existed before creation, everything manifest is my very self, and I alone will remain when creation ceases to be" [04:46]. 3. Empathy and Sajjanta (Gentlemanliness) To illustrate the natural respect that comes from true knowledge, the speaker shares an analogy of a boy who buys a three-legged puppy [08:24]. • The farmer tries to discourage the boy, but the boy lifts his own trouser leg to show he wears an artificial limb [08:52]. • The boy explains that the puppy needs someone who can understand its situation. • This act demonstrates empathy and Sajjanta (gentlemanliness) [09:18]. • The takeaway is that the highest sign of a mind focused on God is this universal empathy and respect toward all beings, because they are all seen as manifestations or parts of the Divine [09:37].